Today's Honolulu Advertiser editorial: "Drug courts: Smart, cost-effective judicial alternative"

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081110/OPINION01/811100309/1105

Every county has a version of the drug court system, which puts qualified nonviolent drug users through a program of intensive hands-on treatment, backed up by a judge who typically uses a program of swift punishments for missteps and rewards for positive progress to keep the offenders on track.

And it works. On O'ahu, 46 of the 49 clients who graduated in 2007 remained conviction-free more than a year later. Neighbor Island drug courts report similar high rates of success.

* * *

Developing useful alternatives to prison is becoming a trend. By the end of this year, the U.S. Sentencing Commission plans to amend its guidelines to persuade Congress to ease up on federal mandatory minimum-sentencing laws.

Hawai'i's policy-makers should support the trend. So should the private sector, which can support the program through its nonprofit support groups, such as Friends of Drug Court.

Clearly it's a sound investment. Rescuing someone from the horrors of drug abuse is not only the right thing to do for that individual, it has a collective societal benefit as well.